ME/CFS Australia (SA) Inc supports the needs of sufferers of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and related illnesses. We do this by providing services and information to members.

Disclaimer

ME/CFS Australia (SA) Inc aims to keep members informed of the various research projects, diets, medications, therapies etc. All communication, both verbal and written, is merely to disseminate information and not to make recommendations or directives.

Unless otherwise stated, the views expressed on this Web site are not necessarily the official views of the Society or its Committee and are not simply an endorsement of products or services.

Today, Nightingale's priorities are individual patient-based research with total body/brain investigation of ME and CFS patients as well as the development of a sophisticated database database to consolidate these findings for analysis and publication.

The uniqueness of his work is in its emphasis on total body mapping of all systems and organs so that he can understand the nature and complexity of the ME and CFS patients' illnesses. He is one of the few physicians worldwide whose practice has consisted solely of the investigation of ME and CFS patients since 1984.

Presented by ME/CFS Society of WA

"I want to talk about how I investigate ME and CFS patients, the difference between the two diagnoses, and what we have found when investigating these patients, plus I also wish to discuss some pretty amazing new finds that lie hidden under the diagnosis of Fibromyalgia.

Specifically, I will discuss the following:

The infectious and other origins of ME and CFS and what provoked me to take up this area of medicine.

Why the unitary theory of disease first developed by William Osler in the 1890s cannot be used to evaluate these patients who frequently have multi-system, multi-organ pathologies. What are these multi-system, multi-organ pathologies?

The pathophysiology of illness in this group of chronically disabled patients and how to investigate this group of patients. This will include a discussion of the diagnosis of post-infectious dysautonomia as a major cause of chronic illness.

The costly pursuit of cause and frequently bogus treatment by patients.

Treatment and the negative role of the insurance industry in getting some of these ME patients back to work.

How the "Web" has too frequently distributed false or erroneous information to both patients and physicians, causing many physicians to shun the complexe, labour-intensive ME and CFS patients.

The relationship of the ever-falling real income and the ever-falling number of available physician hours per patient over the past 40 years has forced physicians to become increasingly efficient and in effect has largely caused them to abandon the investigation of these complex but fascinating ME and CFS patients.

An ample question period for both physicians and patient groups.

I will be happy to discuss any other aera of this group of illness subject to time and the interest of physicians and patients.